Quick answer
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is a government-run captive elephant facility near Kegalle, about 40 kilometres west of Kandy, roughly an hour to an hour and a quarter by road. Founded in 1975, it holds a herd of around 70 to 90 elephants that are led to the Maha Oya river to bathe twice a day, usually mid-morning and early afternoon. It is not a sanctuary in the modern sense: elephants are managed with chains and hooks and are not released. Travellers who want wild elephants should choose a national park instead.
Key takeaways
- Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was founded in 1975 by Sri Lanka's Department of Wildlife Conservation to care for orphaned wild calves.
- The herd at Pinnawala numbers roughly 70 to 90 elephants, many of them born in captivity there.
- Pinnawala is about 40 kilometres from Kandy and about 90 kilometres from Colombo, just off the main road between the two.
- Elephants at Pinnawala are not returned to the wild, unlike calves at the Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawe.
- Wild elephants can be seen at Minneriya, Kaudulla and Udawalawe national parks without any contact or captivity.
What Pinnawala is, and what it is not
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage began as a refuge for calves found abandoned or injured in the wild. Over five decades it has become a breeding herd and a major visitor attraction, run by the Department of National Zoological Gardens on about ten hectares of former coconut land.
Pinnawala is not a rescue-and-release centre. Animals raised there are used to people and stay for life, and some have been transferred to temples and private owners. Calling it an orphanage is historically accurate and, today, somewhat misleading.
What you will see on a visit
A visit to Pinnawala follows the herd's timetable. In the morning the elephants stand in an open paddock, where visitors watch from behind a low barrier. Twice a day the mahouts walk them through the village, across the road, to the broad, rocky Maha Oya.
The river bathing at Pinnawala is the highlight and lasts up to two hours. Elephants lie in the shallows, spray themselves and jostle, while visitors watch from the bank and from restaurant terraces above. Bottle-feeding of calves is staged at set times for an extra charge.
- →Paddock viewing: from opening until the first bathing time.
- →River bathing: usually around 10 to 12 and 2 to 4; times shift, so confirm.
- →Calf feeding: mid-morning, early afternoon and late afternoon.
- →Time needed on site: one and a half to two hours.
The welfare concerns
The welfare concerns at Pinnawala are well documented. Mahouts control the elephants with the ankus, a hooked goad, and some adult males are chained for long periods, particularly in musth. Space is limited for so large a herd, and the daily routine is built around visitors.
Animal-welfare organisations have criticised Pinnawala for breeding elephants in captivity with no prospect of release and for allowing paid feeding and touching. Supporters reply that the animals are fed and treated by vets and that the facility has kept many alive. Both things can be true, and visitors should decide knowing both.
- →Do not pay to ride, bathe or pose with elephants anywhere on the Pinnawala road.
- →Watch from a distance and skip the paid feeding sessions.
- →Avoid private "elephant experiences" nearby unless you have checked their practices.
Better ways to see elephants
Sri Lanka has several thousand wild elephants, and seeing them free is easy. From roughly July to October, hundreds gather on the grasslands of Minneriya and Kaudulla national parks near Habarana. Udawalawe National Park in the south has resident herds all year.
The Elephant Transit Home at Udawalawe is the closest thing to what many visitors imagine Pinnawala to be. Orphaned calves are fed at set times, watched from a platform with no contact, and released into the park at about five years old. Lankan Stays & Trails recommends it, and a park safari, ahead of Pinnawala.
- →Choose Minneriya or Kaudulla if you are travelling between Kandy and Sigiriya from July to October.
- →Choose Udawalawe if your route goes south to the coast.
- →Choose Pinnawala only if neither fits and you accept it for what it is.
Getting there from Kandy and costs
Getting to Pinnawala from Kandy takes an hour to an hour and a quarter by car, heading west on the Colombo road through Kadugannawa and turning off near Kegalle. Buses and trains run to Rambukkana, a few kilometres away, with a tuk-tuk for the last stretch.
Tickets for Pinnawala cost foreign adults roughly US$15 to US$20, with reductions for children. A car and driver from Kandy for the half-day costs about US$40 to US$60. Because Pinnawala lies on the Colombo road, it is most efficient as a stop on a transfer, not a return trip.
- →Distance: about 40 kilometres each way.
- →Half-day from Kandy: four to five hours in total.
- →Best slot: arrive 30 minutes before the morning bathing.
- →Combine with: Kadugannawa Pass and a tea factory on the same road.
Should you go
Whether to visit Pinnawala is a personal decision. Families with young children often value the certainty of seeing elephants at close range without a long jeep ride. Travellers with a safari elsewhere on their route usually find Pinnawala unnecessary and a little sad.
A reasonable rule for Pinnawala is this: if your itinerary includes Minneriya, Kaudulla, Udawalawe or Yala, leave it out. If it does not, and elephants matter to you, consider changing the itinerary before settling for captivity.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Pinnawala from Kandy?
Pinnawala is about 40 kilometres west of Kandy, and the drive takes an hour to an hour and a quarter depending on traffic through Peradeniya and Kadugannawa. By public transport, take a train or bus towards Rambukkana or Kegalle and a tuk-tuk for the final few kilometres.
What time do the elephants bathe at Pinnawala?
The elephants at Pinnawala are usually taken to the river twice a day, around 10 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, for up to two hours each time. Schedules are adjusted occasionally and bathing is cancelled when the river floods, so confirm on the day.
Is Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage ethical?
Pinnawala is a captive facility where elephants are controlled with hooks and chains and are not released to the wild, and welfare groups have raised concerns for years. It does provide veterinary care. Many travellers now prefer wild elephants in national parks or the Elephant Transit Home at Udawalawe.
How much is the entrance fee for Pinnawala?
Foreign adult tickets for Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage have recently cost roughly US$15 to US$20, with lower prices for children and visitors from South Asian countries. Fees are set by the government and revised periodically, so check the current rate before you travel.
Can you touch or feed the elephants at Pinnawala?
Paid feeding of fruit or milk to selected elephants is offered at Pinnawala, and mahouts may invite you to touch an animal for a tip. Welfare organisations advise against both. Watching the herd at the river from the bank is the least intrusive way to visit.
Is Pinnawala or Udawalawe better for elephants?
Udawalawe is better for most travellers. The national park has wild herds all year, and the Elephant Transit Home there raises orphans for release with no visitor contact. Pinnawala is closer to Kandy and Colombo and guarantees close views, but the elephants are permanently captive.